Becoming New in Christ

This week I listened to THIS TALK by Elder Dale G. Renlund, and it has left me pondering about the sacrament and my covenants.

Elder Renlund quoted President Russell M. Nelson saying:

I made a covenant as I partook of the sacrament that I would be willing to take upon me the name of Jesus Christ and . . . to obey His commandments. Often, I hear the expression that we partake of the sacrament to renew covenants made at baptism. While that’s true, it’s much more than that. I’ve made a new covenant. You have made new covenants (italics added).

Whoa. The sacrament is much. more. than. renewing. covenants.

Much more.

So I have been thinking about that. About Jesus being the New Covenant and how I can make a new covenant with Him each and every week.

Each Sabbath, as I give to Him my offering of my righteous desires coupled with my carnal tendencies, I can become new.

When taken worthily and with real intent, the sacrament is The Way I become a new creature in Christ.

This means that in partaking of the sacrament, the things of the world slowly--ever so imperceptibly slow-- start to become less and less important to me, and the things of God--the very things of eternity--start to become more and more important to me.

The sacrament not only helps me to become more like Him, it is my cry to Him that I need Him to give me the ability to live His doctrine--especially the "endure to the end" part--with Christ-like determination.

And He does.

He gives me what I need.

What an amazing covenant I have made.

Small and Simple Things

This evening I had the opportunity to participate in our Relief Society Christmas Program entitled, Women Who Knew Christ. I was asked to play the part of the mother of Mary. As I practiced my part, there was a phrase from Luke 1:35 that jumped out at me:

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Had I read correctly? Did the angel just refer to the Son of God as a holy thing? And right then Alma 37:6-7 was brought to my remembrance:

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Yep. The very Son of God was born by and in and to small and simple circumstances.

Compared to how a king would have been received.

Compared to how birthing accommodations are today.

Compared to what can be announced to the world in real time on social media.

Yet, in His small and simple way, He continues to confound the wise and brings about the salvation to many souls.

I share my witness with King Benjamin that "there is no other name give nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."

Doctrine and Covenants 25 Chiasmus

Tonight, I took a look at Doctrine and Covenants 25 as President Nelson invited us to do on Saturday. And I decided to look at it with a chiasmus eye. And really, I don't know much about chiasmus, except that it is AWESOME. But here's what I discovered. It is quite powerful when I read it in first person, taking the liberty to liken "husband" to "God," and thinking about "hymns" more in line as "preparations" for the upcoming April 2020 General Conference and beyond.

 1 God speaks to all—all who are covenant-makers and keepers of the gospel

    2 If you are faithful, you will receive an inheritance in Zion

       3 Your sins are forgiven. You are an elect lady. Called by the Lord.

         4 Murmur not about the things you have not seen

            5 Speak consoling words in the spirit of meekness

               6 Be a scribe

                  7 You are called under [God’s] hand to expound scripture/exhort

                      8 Receive the Holy Ghost to write and learn much

                      9 [God] will support thee; all things to be revealed according to faith

                  10 Lay aside the things of the world

              11 Make a selection of hymns [spiritual preparations]

            12 Song of the righteous is a prayer unto Him, a blessing upon heads

         13 Lift up your heart. Cleave unto your covenants.

      14 Be meek. Beware of pride. Soul delight in/glory given to [God]

   15 Keep commandments. Receive a crown of righteousness.

16 My voice unto all

What are you learning as you study the 25th section of the Doctrine and Covenants?

Tidbit Tuesday: Talking About Family

We talk a lot about families. Sometimes in bitterness, you will want to say ‘all this talk about families, but I don’t have a family, and …, ’ stop there! Don’t add that extra phrase, ‘I wish they would stop talking so much about families.’ You pray that we do keep talking about families; about fathers and mothers and children and family home evening, temple marriage and companionship and all of the rest, because all of that will be yours. If we stop talking about it, then you, among all others, will be the losers.

-James E. Faust quoting Boyd K. Packer

How is it that I Seek Him?

In Luke 2:49, young Jesus responds to Mary and Joseph when they find Him in the temple and question His whereabouts, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?" To which Luke writes, "And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them."

This has got me to thinking, Jesus did not ask. "Where have you sought me?" or "When have you  sought me?" or "Why have you sought me?" His question was "How is it that ye sought me?"

How is it?

In the 1828 Dictionary, the word how is defined as "by what means, in what state, or in what manner." Which begs the question, HOW is it that I seek Him?

Do I seek Him only when I need His help?

Do I seek Him only when I need fast, temporary relief?

Do I seek Him looking for easy answers to my profound questions because I don't want to wait?

Do I seek Him on my time, with no regard to all He is and all He does and all He offers?

Or,

Do I seek Him with real intent?

Do I seek Him with the desire to know? With the desire to follow Him the whole. entire. way. The long, eternal way.

Do I seek Him because I, too, want to go about His Father's business, no matter what the cost?

Do I seek Him willingly because I want to do His will and not mine, for His work and His glory?

"How is it," He asks, "that ye seek Me?"

Hitting Rock Bottom

Today I visited a boys' juvenile detention center for Sabbath worship services.

Missionaries teach a Sunday School class in three rotations.

The boys who attend Sunday meetings do so voluntarily.

The Sunday School lesson focused on Jesus Christ being our Teacher, our Healer, our Forgiver, our Advocate, our Savior.

In all of the groups, the instructor missionary asked, "What does it mean that Jesus is our rock?"

Several answers from several boys in all groups . But one answer stood out to me.

"It's like when we hit rock bottom---Jesus will be there."

What a beautiful way to think about that!

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light

Earlier this month I woke up with a terrible, awful 10+ headache. Nothing I did took away the pain--not sleep, not darkness, not medication, not even prayer. On top of it all, I still had all my "mom" responsibilities I had to do, which included judging a science fair at the junior high, chauffeuring the children from school to home to work, helping with homework, and attending a junior high basketball game. Even though I tried very hard to be positive and happy, the excruciating pain wouldn't leave me. My head throbbed all day long.

At about 4:30, as I was sitting on the bleachers waiting for the basketball game to begin, squinting my eyes in an attempt to protect myself from the noise and the lights and the commotion, I received a distinct impression. The impression told me that my headache was going to go away. In a matter of a few moments, I could literally feel the tremendous pain that had tortured my head all day gradually dissipate. In a matter of five or so minutes, my headache was gone. My headache was COMPLETELY gone!

So, in my head, I began a little conversation with this impression I had. This impression that told me that I was going to witness my headache leave.

Me: "Why?" Why did it take so long for the pain to go away? I was in so much pain. All day. Why now? Why not sooner when I could have been so much more productive?"

Impression: "Because I wanted you to know that when everything is said and done, it is Me who Heals. It is not the darkness or the sleep or the medication. It is not time or circumstance. It is Me because I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. I am the Healer. And it is I in Whom you must have faith."

That afternoon, in the middle of a noisy, crowded gymnasium, I learned, through the Spirit that each of us, at different times in our lives, have things that hang over us, burden us, weary us, even torture us. Many times, we feel like that weight is carried for a long time. A longer time than what we desire. Or what we think we are capable of enduring. And in those times, God, in His infinite mercy, places many things and needed people in our way who will and can help us come unto Him.

But in the end, in the very end, it is only in and through Jesus Christ that we are healed. He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Light!

I know that He lives and that He loves us. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World.